‘Having a nervous breakdown was the best career move I ever made’ – Managing Director of HumourUs

“Having a nervous breakdown was the best career move I ever made,” said Kate Hull Rodgers, the Managing Director of HumourUs during a keynote speech at Hygeia 2024, a conference on mental illness at work.

Ms Hull Rodgers opened up about her personal struggles with mental illness, and how she turned her own fate around

At 25, she was hospitalised in a mental institution after what she described as a series of delusions and a severe mental health breakdown, which led her to be admitted into a psychiatric ward

Once a high-achieving student, she had moved to Vancouver to pursue an acting career, only to face repeated rejections. “I hit a brick wall. I slept 18 hours a day. I wasn’t well,” she recalled.

She decided to return home, and her family realised something was wrong. In one striking memory, she shared how she sunbathed with garlic taped to her body because she believed in its health benefits—an action that prompted her neighbour to call the police. She laughed at her past self, but there was a poignancy to her story.

“I was convinced I was the second coming of Jesus. Of course, the second coming was a woman, and from Canada!” she said with a grin. Despite her light-hearted approach, the seriousness of her condition was clear.

While awaiting admission to the hospital, she remembered “healing” people in the waiting room, only to later realise she was out of touch with reality. She was initially diagnosed with mental anxiety, but this later changed to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

One especially harrowing moment occurred when she was strapped to a bed for over a day, during which she screamed until her voice gave out. “I only thought I was in the psychiatric ward because they had a shortage of beds in the hospital,” she laughed, but her eyes betrayed the intensity of the experience.

When she finally signed herself out of the institution, she credited her family for their support: “My mum and sister did the most amazing thing. They gave me time to heal.”

Inspired by her own journey, she later founded her company, HumourUs, to teach businesses about the transformative power of humour. “I have spoken in many different countries, teaching people how to laugh, and I’m still laughing… all the way to the bank!” she said, beaming.

The benefits of laughing

Ms Hull Rodgers highlighted the tangible health benefits of laughing. She detailed how it lowers blood pressure, releases endorphins, neutralises cortisol, and even increases haemoglobin levels.

“When a woman is stressed, her fertility decreases,” she pointed out, before adding a light-hearted, personal anecdote: “For 13 years I took the pill. I just needed a briefcase and shoulder pads!” The crowd erupted into laughter, captivated by her openness and ability to infuse humour into serious topics.

Ms Hull Rodgers encouraged the audience to laugh for 20 minutes a day—even without a reason. She shared her favourite ‘laughter hack’: standing in front of a mirror and making laughing sounds until the real laughter kicks in. “But if you start laughing uncontrollably, you might just get locked up!” she warned, eliciting another round of chuckles.

She also spoke about how important to not take life too seriously: “In traffic, I don’t stress out. I say, ‘I have 10 minutes to myself now.’ You can’t control the traffic, but you can control how you react to it.”

Turning pain into purpose

Ms Hull Rodgers concluded her speech with the powerful message that her nervous breakdown was, in fact, the turning point of her career.

Her speech was more than just a talk—it was an inspiring reminder that laughter, resilience, and the ability to find humour in the darkest of times can lead to profound healing and professional success. The audience left both entertained and deeply moved by her incredible story.